This is the best way to eat kale - steeped in lemon, garlic, and cheese! These potatoes are great with any kind of roast. I love pretty much any variation on potatoes, and I like that this one has some green mixed in.

There are a couple of techniques in this recipe that are important to use to get the best possible outcome. First, make sure to preheat the pan along with the oven - starting with a really hot pan is a foolproof way to make sure the potatoes don’t stick. Not only will the pan be easy to clean, but the potatoes will also come out crispy and delicious instead of just burning onto the pan. Secondly, remember to soak the garlic in the lemon juice before mixing it into the rest of the pesto. This helps curb the raw garlic taste and aftertaste. It really works!

Last, note that the amount of potatoes listed here is enough to use up half the pesto. The amount of potatoes can be doubled (make sure to use a second pan so the potatoes are not too crowded), or half of the pesto can be set aside for a future batch of potatoes or pasta.

Roasted Potatoes with Kale Pesto

For the potatoes:
3 medium russet potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the pesto:
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced/grated/pressed
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups very finely chopped baby kale (about half of a 5 oz package)
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
5+ tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425° and place a baking sheet in the oven as it preheats. Slice the potatoes and rinse them in a colander. Dry the potatoes with a paper towel, then toss them with the olive oil in a large bowl or large ziploc bag. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. When the oven  and pan are fully preheated, pour the potatoes onto the pan, making sure they are in a single layer. The potatoes should sizzle when they hit the pan.

Cook the potatoes for 25-30 minutes, until browned, flipping every 10 minutes.

Mix the garlic and the lemon together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 minutes.  Mix the chopped kale, parmesan, lemon/garlic mixture and olive oil in a large bowl, crushing the ingredients together with a fork. Add extra olive oil to loosen the pesto, depending on your preference. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. The parmesan cheese is already salty so not a lot of salt is necessary.

Toss the hot potatoes in half of the pesto and serve.

From Chris Loves Julia

Ingredients

Instructions